Metadata-based configuration of RFID readers

• US 7,796,014 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosenthal, Steven, Gieseke, Eric, Gast, Peter, Horowitz, Marc H., Traub, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US11/668,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 709220-222, 235/462.01, 235/462.46, 235/472.02, 235/375, 710/8, 710/104, 710/302, 713/1, 713/100
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation

Abstract

A computer readable medium can be a metadata-based description of the configuration of an RFID reader. An RFID edge server can interact with the metadata-based description to configure the RFID reader.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein said instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

reading a metadata-based description of a configuration of an radio frequency identification (RFID) reader by an RFID edge server, wherein the RFID edge server interfaces with a plurality of different RFID readers with native configuration arrangements;

generating an interface based on the metadata-based description, wherein each of the different RFID readers with native configuration arrangements uses a different metadata-based description;

employing the interface to update the configuration of the RFID reader while simultaneously continuing to receive data from at least one other RFID reader to the RFID edge server, without interruption to the RFID edge server; and

employing the interface to display a list of available application level event (ALE) filters for the RFID reader and using the interface to select the ALE filters for the RFID edge server, wherein the interface displays said ALE filters in a filter chain and is used for repositioning of filters in the filter chain.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a restart of the RFID reader without interrupting the operation of a software application executing on the RFID edge server.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the metadata description includes a set of configuration parameters that include one or more of the following:

a parameter name, a description, a type and a default value.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the RFID edge server converts data input by users into a configuration for the RFID reader.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the RFID edge server further includes a set of plug-in instances that provide a connection between the RFID edge server and the RFID reader, and wherein the metadata description is used to perform one or more of the following:

list the set of plug-in instances;

get configuration details of said plug-in instances;

define a plug-in instance;

re-define a plug-in instance; and

un-define a plug-in instance.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the RFID edge server includes:

a plug-in that provides a base class for configurable entities within the RFID edge server;

a plug-in meta instance that contains meta information describing the class that implements the plug-in and associated configuration parameters;

a plug-in configuration application programming interface (API) that provides a simple object access protocol (SOAP) interface for accessing the meta information and configuring the plug-in.

7. A computer readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein said instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

reading a metadata-based description of a configuration of an radio frequency identification (RFID) reader by an RFID edge server, wherein the RFID edge server interfaces with a plurality of different RFID readers with native configuration arrangements;

generating an interface based on the metadata-based description, wherein each of the different RFID readers with native configuration arrangements uses a different metadata-based description; and

employing the interface to update the configuration of the RFID reader while simultaneously continuing to receive data from at least one other RFID reader to the RFID edge server, without interruption to the RFID edge server;

wherein the interface operates in dual mode by way of a configuration flag, wherein if the configuration flag is set, the configuration information is read from persisted dynamic configuration information and dynamic modifications to the configuration data of the RFID reader are supported through a dynamic configuration application programming interface (API), and wherein if the configuration flag is not set, the configuration information is read from a configuration file.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

initiating a restart of the RFID reader without interrupting the operation of a software application executing on the RFID edge server.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the metadata description includes a set of configuration parameters that include one or more of the following:

a parameter name, a description, a type and a default value.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the RFID edge server converts data input by users into a configuration for the RFID reader.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the RFID edge server further includes a set of plug-in instances that provide a connection between the RFID edge server and the RFID reader, and wherein the metadata description is used to perform one or more of the following:

list the set of plug-in instances;

get configuration details of said plug-in instances;

define a plug-in instance;

re-define a plug-in instance; and

un-define a plug-in instance.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the RFID edge server includes:

a plug-in that provides a base class for configurable entities within the RFID edge server;

a plug-in meta instance that contains meta information describing the class that implements the plug-in and associated configuration parameters;

a plug-in configuration application programming interface (API) that provides a simple object access protocol (SOAP) interface for accessing the meta information and configuring the plug-in.